Savas Coskun, 56, of Shepparton, pleaded guilty in Shepparton Magistrates’ Court to trafficking methamphetamines, possessing a drug of dependence, possessing a schedule four poison, recklessly dealing with the proceeds of crime, two counts of possessing cannabis, dealing with property suspected to be the proceeds of crime and drug driving.
Office of Public Prosecutions prosecutor Vinod Nath told the court the Shepparton crime investigation unit started an operation in November last year into a drug syndicate based in Shepparton.
As part of the investigation, they had phone taps on two Shepparton men’s phones.
Mr Nath said police recorded calls between Coskun and one of these men.
On March 5, the man rang Coskun and asked him if he had “a spare 51 cents” and when he said no, he agreed to “22 Gs”, which police say was the sale of 22 grams of methamphetamines by Coskun to the man, Mr Nath said.
On March 19, Coskun went to the same man’s house and left with a bag after the man called him to arrange a meeting.
On April 11, Coskun sold 7g of methamphetamines to undercover police for $1250.
The following day, police saw a car go to Coskun’s house and leave after a short period.
When they pulled the driver over in Mooroopna, she was found with 7g of methamphetamines, which police say was sold to her by Coskun.
On April 23, Coskun again sold undercover police 7g of methamphetamines for $1250.
When police searched Coskun’s home on June 12 they found $453.35 inside a safe in Coskun’s daughter’s bedroom, as well as 7g of cannabis, two diazepam tablets, 7g of hashish and multiple empty zip-lock bags.
Coskun told police at the time he had a prescription for the cannabis, but Mr Nath said he had not provided it to police.
He also said the money was his daughter’s, but did not provide police with any proof of that.
Police prosecutor Ibrahim Abdalla told the court Coskun was found with 76g of cannabis and $2037 in cash — which police say was the proceeds of crime — when he was stopped by police while driving on Ferguson Rd at Toolamba on May 23.
Methamphetamines and cannabis were also detected when Coskun was drug tested by police.
Coskun told police at the time he had “an exemption” for using cannabis but that it was “too expensive”, Mr Abdalla said.
He also told police the money was “saved up from his Centrelink allowance, as he does not work”, Mr Abdalla said.
Coskun’s defence solicitor, Rob Melasecca, said his client was not the primary target in the police operation and police had only seen him four times.
He also said the total amount Coskun trafficked “was not significant”.
Mr Melasecca asked that the magistrate sentence Coskun to the 166 days he had already spent in pre-sentence detention waiting for the matter to come before the court to enable him to have an opportunity to be placed on a drug and alcohol treatment order when a separate matter came before the County Court.
Magistrate Megan Casey sentenced Coskun to 166 days in prison, ruling that the entire time had already been served in pre-sentence detention.
“I think it is significant you have the opportunity to work with the County Court on a drug and alcohol treatment order,” Ms Casey said.
“I don’t intend to stand in the way of that.”
Ms Casey also convicted Coskun and discharged the matter on the two cannabis possession charges, and fined him $800 for drug driving.
Coskun was also disqualified from driving for 10 months.
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